Engineering topper Hafiz set to join IIT

Hafiz Rahman Elikkottil aims for IIT Bombay after securing top ranks in various engineering entrance exams.

Hafiz Rahman Elikkottil, who won the second rank in the Kerala Engineering Entrance examination this year, has set his eyes on Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). With an all-India rank 542 in Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced, Hafiz has already got selection in IIT Madras for B.Tech Electrical when the fourth round of allotment was over. He is waiting for the last round of IIT admission to confirm his final choice.

“My first choice is IIT Bombay,” he told The Hindu from Qatar, where he has been holidaying with his father, Dr. Abdul Rahman Elikkottil. Hafiz celebrated the Kerala Engineering rank with his father in Qatar when his mother Shahina Rahman celebrated the occasion with her family at Perinthalmanna.

“More than me, it was his mother persistently cajoled and wheedled him into this achievement. He was very much focused,” said Dr. Rahman.

Hafiz studied up to Class 10 at Darul Falah English School at Poopalam, Perinthalmanna, and did higher secondary at Chavara CMI Public School, Pala, while taking entrance coaching at Pala.

“Understanding concept is very much important while studying. In fact, it is more important than trying questions,” said Hafiz, who scored Kerala Rank one in JEE Main (all India rank 197) and third in the State for JEE Advanced (all India rank 542).

Hafiz won the second rank in CUSAT engineering entrance examination, and third rank in Amrita Engineering Entrance Examination (AEEE). His score in BITS Pilani entrance examination was 325. He was qualified for admission to Chennai Mathematical Institute, Chennai, and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. “I did not choose IISc because the BS programme there was research-oriented,” he said.

Hafiz’s eldest sister Aakifah Rahman is currently in Qatar after doing BTech in computer science from National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut. His second sister Aslamah Rahman did BTech in Metallurgy from IIT Madras, and is currently working in San Francisco, US. His third sister Hamdah Rahman is doing MBBS at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, and his younger brother Sahil Rahman is studying in sixth standard.